Workcafé: work in progress

After the phases of inspiration, ideation and experimentation, the work of the Workcafé began in July 2022.We went to meet Hugues Meri, Director of Real Estate and Logistics at Sciences Po Aix, who opened the doors of the site for us and answered our questions about the progress of the work.

The construction site

Many stages preceded this new phase of the project: preliminary studies, a programming mission within the framework of Design Thinking workshops with an inspiration phase, an ideation phase and a test phase, then a design phase with the architect Anna Johansen, which then made it possible to select the companies necessary for the work.

Every week, the project management team meets at Sciences Po Aix to coordinate the actions of the various companies. This team is led by Anna Johansen and brings together different specialists (a structural office for the solidity of the place, a fluid office for electricity and air renewal, but also an acoustician for the resonance of the place). It is a question of verifying the good performance of the provisional planning, under the gaze of the project owner represented in particular by Mr. Meri.

But then, what will this long-awaited Workcafé look like? 

As planned on the 3D plans, the Workcafé will consist of several living spaces in warm colors and pastel tones.

From the patio you will enter a room where you can enjoy a friendly kitchen, tables dedicated to catering, a custom-built bar and a lounge area. Two work rooms with wall screens will also be accessible. Students will be able to connect to the internet easily via the wifi network.

A modular space, equipped with bleachers, will be able to accommodate exchanges in small groups and small artistic or cultural forms (video projections, meetings, signatures …). A last room will be dedicated torelaxation. On the program: comfortable deckchairs and soft music.

In the patio, benches, tables and chairs will be installed, with lighting and integrated electrical outlets, to make the most of this beautiful space.

The work, which began in July 2022, continues in good conditions. Each sequence of work involves the different trades, which take care of the ceiling, partitions, flooring, electrical network, lighting, air treatment, as well as internet connectivity. An ambitious project that reaches the goal: to offer a real “social hub” to the entire school community.